China-Cambodia Digital Eye Health Cooperation Takes Off

Under a bilateral health cooperation initiative, two state-of-the-art Vision Health Intelligent Management Centers have been inaugurated in Cambodia. Authorized and supported by the Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center, this project marks the first international rollout of Shanghai’s innovative digital vision health management system.

Located at Kong Pisei Hospital and Techo Sen Koh Thom Hospital, the new centers adopt a digital, standardized, one-stop service model. Integrating artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, they focus on common eye disorders to strengthen early intervention and deliver continuous, tiered care.

Local officials noted that the AI-powered intelligent data management system will significantly boost the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of eye disease screening and service delivery.

The VIMC platform has proven highly adaptable and practical in eye disease screening, earning strong positive feedback from local medical staff and residents.

Professor Meng Nyg, advisor to the Ministry of Health of Cambodia, chairman of the National Eye Health Program, and director of the Khmer‑Soviet Friendship Hospital, emphasized the VIMC initiative’s role in advancing the digitalization and standardization of eye health services. By integrating AI and intelligent data management, the project has improved the efficiency and safety of screening, imaging, and coordinated diagnosis and treatment, while providing new technical support for teleconsultation and hierarchical referral.

He added that under the collaboration framework between Cambodia’s National Eye Health Program and the Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center, the VIMC project represents a valuable technical and operational model for Cambodia’s eye health system, closely aligning with national efforts to upgrade medical service quality and accelerate digital development.

Beyond technology transfer, professionals from the Shanghai center are training local staff in equipment operation and conducting case-based exchanges. This knowledge-sharing initiative aims to help Cambodian hospitals establish comprehensive, standardized eye disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment protocols.

To date, the centers have provided eye examinations for over 500 local residents, with highly favorable feedback.

Officials from the Shanghai center noted that these vision health centers will serve as a replicable model for expansion to more countries.

The initiative stands as a flagship cross‑border cooperation demonstration project under China’s National Key R&D Program Ultra‑Large‑Scale Blockchain Infrastructure for the Belt and Road Initiative. By innovatively applying blockchain to build a cross‑national eye health platform, it ensures secure and trusted medical data exchange while laying a solid technical foundation for broader deployment across Belt and Road countries, fully showcasing China’s innovation capabilities in digital health.

Moving forward, the Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center will maintain close collaboration with all partners, further integrating artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data management technologies. Starting with Cambodia, the center will promote the exchange and mutual learning of vision health service models in more countries and regions worldwide, contributing professional expertise to advance global eye health care.